Serenissima

Looking a bit small and lonely outside St Peter Port today was the Serenissima, one of the more interesting visitors to Guernsey this year. Carrying a similar number to yesterday visitor, the Island Sky, this 1960s built workhorse of a ship started her career as a Hurtigruten ship sailing the Norwegian coastal waters until her retirement in 2001.

She became a hotel ship, then a cruise liner before the company owning the ship went bankrupt in 2009. The ship's history was well known and followed by her many fans which led to her being bought by Volga Cruises and having a complete restoration before being put into service in April 2013. "La Serenissima" is the name of the Republic of Venice from the word Serenissimo meaning most serene.

Not quite so serene will be the guests ride on the Zodiac tenders as they return to the ship to leave on their short journey to the Island of Herm, just to the east of Guernsey.